AUBURN, Alabama -- Before Auburn headed into practice on Monday, Tigers forward Allen Payne told a teammate how frustrated he was with the team's inability to protect its home floor this season.

Payne appreciates the crowd more than most, heading over to thank the student section after Auburn knocked off Alabama two weeks ago.

But too many times, Auburn has played the same way at Auburn Arena out of the gate that the Tigers do on the road in a sport where home-court advantage matters more than almost any other sport.

"Timid, hesitant, and I don't know why," Auburn coach Tony Barbee said. "It's a home-court advantage for a reason, and our fans have been great."

Auburn is only 7-7 at home, a huge step back after going 14-2 at Auburn Arena last season, and both Kentucky and No. 5 Florida blew out the Tigers in front of big crowds.

In a season when the Tigers expected to take a step forward, Auburn's performance on its home floor has left Payne frustrated.

"Personally, I feel like we're letting them down," Payne said. "For them to still come out and support us even though we're not putting our best effort forth, I think that just shows the character of the Auburn Family and how much they care about us."

Auburn takes on Texas A&M at 7 p.m. in Auburn Arena Wednesday. If the Tigers are going to turn things around on their home floor, it has to start there.

"I think we've got to get back to fighting for them," Payne said. "Playing harder, fighting better for them."

For more news, notes and live game updates on Auburn basketball, follow the Tigers on Twitter: Follow @JoelAEricksonAU